New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition 2020)

Numbers

1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai,+ in the tent of meeting,+ on the first day of the second month, in the second year of their coming out of the land of Egypt.+ He said: 2 “Take a census+ of the whole assembly of the Israelites* individually* according to their families, according to their paternal houses, according to the count of the names of all the males. 3 You and Aaron are to register by their companies* all those from 20 years old and up+ who can serve in the army in Israel.

4 “Take with you one man from each tribe; each one is to be a head of his paternal house.+ 5 These are the names of the men who will stand with you: of Reuben, Elizur+ the son of Shedeur; 6 of Simeon, Shelumiel+ the son of Zurishaddai; 7 of Judah, Nahshon+ the son of Amminadab; 8 of Issachar, Nethanel+ the son of Zuar; 9 of Zebulun, Eliab+ the son of Helon; 10 of the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim,+ Elishama the son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; 11 of Benjamin, Abidan+ the son of Gideoni; 12 of Dan, Ahiezer+ the son of Ammishaddai; 13 of Asher, Pagiel+ the son of Ochran; 14 of Gad, Eliasaph+ the son of Deuel; 15 of Naphtali, Ahira+ the son of Enan. 16 These are the ones summoned from the assembly. They are the chieftains+ of the tribes of their fathers, the heads of the thousands of Israel.”+

17 So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name. 18 They gathered all the assembly on the first day of the second month, so that they might be registered individually by name, by family, and by their paternal houses, from 20 years old and up,+ 19 just as Jehovah had commanded Moses. So he registered them in the wilderness of Sinai.+

20 The sons of Reuben, the descendants of Israel’s firstborn,+ were listed by name, by family, and by their paternal houses. All the males from 20 years old and up who could serve in the army were counted individually, 21 and the number registered of the tribe of Reuben was 46,500.

22 The descendants of Simeon+ were listed by name, by family, and by their paternal houses. All the males from 20 years old and up who could serve in the army were counted individually, 23 and the number registered of the tribe of Simeon was 59,300.

24 The descendants of Gad+ were listed by name, by family, and by their paternal houses. All the males from 20 years old and up who could serve in the army were counted, 25 and the number registered of the tribe of Gad was 45,650.

26 The descendants of Judah+ were listed by name, by family, and by their paternal houses. All the males from 20 years old and up who could serve in the army were counted, 27 and the number registered of the tribe of Judah was 74,600.

28 The descendants of Issachar+ were listed by name, by family, and by their paternal houses. All the males from 20 years old and up who could serve in the army were counted, 29 and the number registered of the tribe of Issachar was 54,400.

30 The descendants of Zebulun+ were listed by name, by family, and by their paternal houses. All the males from 20 years old and up who could serve in the army were counted, 31 and the number registered of the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400.

32 The descendants of Joseph through Ephraim+ were listed by name, by family, and by their paternal houses. All the males from 20 years old and up who could serve in the army were counted, 33 and the number registered of the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500.

34 The descendants of Manasseh+ were listed by name, by family, and by their paternal houses. All the males from 20 years old and up who could serve in the army were counted, 35 and the number registered of the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200.

36 The descendants of Benjamin+ were listed by name, by family, and by their paternal houses. All the males from 20 years old and up who could serve in the army were counted, 37 and the number registered of the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400.

38 The descendants of Dan+ were listed by name, by family, and by their paternal houses. All the males from 20 years old and up who could serve in the army were counted, 39 and the number registered of the tribe of Dan was 62,700.

40 The descendants of Asher+ were listed by name, by family, and by their paternal houses. All the males from 20 years old and up who could serve in the army were counted, 41 and the number registered of the tribe of Asher was 41,500.

42 The descendants of Naphtali+ were listed by name, by family, and by their paternal houses. All the males from 20 years old and up who could serve in the army were counted, 43 and the number registered of the tribe of Naphtali was 53,400.

44 These were registered by Moses together with Aaron and the 12 chieftains of Israel, each representing his paternal house. 45 All the Israelites from 20 years old and up who could serve in the army in Israel were registered by their paternal house, 46 and the total number registered was 603,550.+

47 But the Levites+ were not registered in among them by the tribe of their fathers.+ 48 So Jehovah told Moses: 49 “Only the tribe of Levi you are not to register, and you should not include the number of them along with the other Israelites.+ 50 You should appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony+ and over all its utensils and over everything that belongs to it.+ They will carry the tabernacle and all its utensils,+ and they will minister at it,+ and they are to camp around the tabernacle.+ 51 Whenever the tabernacle is to be moved, the Levites should take it down;+ and when the tabernacle is to be reassembled, the Levites should set it up; and any unauthorized person* who comes near should be put to death.+

52 “Each Israelite should set up his tent in his assigned camp, each man according to his three-tribe division*+ by their companies.* 53 And the Levites should encamp around the tabernacle of the Testimony, so that no indignation may arise against the assembly of the Israelites;+ and the Levites must be responsible for the care of* the tabernacle of the Testimony.”+

54 The people of Israel did all that Jehovah had commanded Moses. They did just so.

2 Jehovah now spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 “The Israelites should encamp where their three-tribe division+ is assigned, each man near the banner* of his paternal house. They should camp facing the tent of meeting, all around it.

3 “Those camping on the east side, toward the sunrise, will be the three-tribe division of the encampment of Judah by their companies;* the chieftain for the sons of Judah is Nahshon+ the son of Amminadab. 4 Those registered in his army are 74,600.+ 5 Camping alongside him will be the tribe of Issachar; the chieftain for the sons of Issachar is Nethanel+ the son of Zuar. 6 Those registered in his army are 54,400.+ 7 Next is the tribe of Zebulun; the chieftain for the sons of Zebulun is Eliab+ the son of Helon. 8 Those registered in his army are 57,400.+

9 “All those registered in the armies of the camp of Judah are 186,400. They should break camp first.+

10 “The three-tribe division of the encampment of Reuben+ by their companies* will be toward the south; the chieftain for the sons of Reuben is Elizur+ the son of Shedeur. 11 Those registered in his army are 46,500.+ 12 Camping alongside him will be the tribe of Simeon; the chieftain for the sons of Simeon is Shelumiel+ the son of Zurishaddai. 13 Those registered in his army are 59,300.+ 14 Next is the tribe of Gad; the chieftain for the sons of Gad is Eliasaph+ the son of Reuel. 15 Those registered in his army are 45,650.+

16 “All those registered in the armies of the camp of Reuben are 151,450, and they should break camp second.+

17 “When the tent of meeting is moved,+ the camp of the Levites should be in the middle of the other camps. “They should travel in the same order as they encamp,+ with each in his place, according to their three-tribe divisions.

18 “The three-tribe division of the encampment of Ephraim by their companies* will be toward the west; the chieftain for the sons of Ephraim is Elishama+ the son of Ammihud. 19 Those registered in his army are 40,500.+ 20 Next to him will be the tribe of Manasseh;+ the chieftain for the sons of Manasseh is Gamaliel+ the son of Pedahzur. 21 Those registered in his army are 32,200.+ 22 Next is the tribe of Benjamin; the chieftain for the sons of Benjamin is Abidan+ the son of Gideoni. 23 Those registered in his army are 35,400.+

24 “All those registered in the armies of the camp of Ephraim are 108,100, and they should break camp third.+

25 “The three-tribe division of the encampment of Dan by their companies* will be toward the north; the chieftain for the sons of Dan is Ahiezer+ the son of Ammishaddai. 26 Those registered in his army are 62,700.+ 27 Camping alongside him will be the tribe of Asher; the chieftain for the sons of Asher is Pagiel+ the son of Ochran. 28 Those registered in his army are 41,500.+ 29 Next is the tribe of Naphtali; the chieftain for the sons of Naphtali is Ahira+ the son of Enan. 30 Those registered in his army are 53,400.+

31 “All those registered in the camp of Dan are 157,600. They should break camp last,+ according to their three-tribe divisions.”

32 These were the Israelites who were registered according to their paternal houses; the total of those in the camps registered for the army was 603,550.+ 33 But the Levites did not get registered+ along with the other Israelites,+ just as Jehovah had commanded Moses. 34 The Israelites did everything that Jehovah had commanded Moses. This is how they encamped by their three-tribe divisions+ and how they broke camp,+ each by family and according to their paternal houses.

3 Now these were the family lines* of Aaron and Moses in the day that Jehovah spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.+ 2 These were the names of Aaron’s sons: the firstborn Nadab, and Abihu,+ Eleazar,+ and Ithamar.+ 3 These were the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests who had been installed* to serve as priests.+ 4 However, Nadab and Abihu died before Jehovah when they offered unauthorized fire before Jehovah+ in the wilderness of Sinai, and they did not have any sons. But Eleazar+ and Ithamar+ continued to serve as priests along with Aaron their father.

5 Jehovah then said to Moses: 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi+ forward, and stand them before Aaron the priest, and they will minister+ to him. 7 They are to fulfill their responsibilities toward him and toward all the assembly before the tent of meeting by carrying out their service in connection with the tabernacle. 8 They are to take care of all the equipment+ of the tent of meeting and to carry out their responsibilities toward the Israelites by taking care of the services related to the tabernacle.+ 9 You are to give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They are given ones, given to him from the Israelites.+ 10 You should appoint Aaron and his sons, and they are to carry out their priestly duties,+ and any unauthorized person* who comes near should be put to death.”+

11 Jehovah continued to speak to Moses, saying: 12 “As for me, look! I take the Levites from among the Israelites in place of all the firstborn* of the Israelites,+ and the Levites will become mine. 13 For every firstborn is mine.+ In the day that I struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt,+ I sanctified to myself every firstborn in Israel from man to beast.+ They are to become mine. I am Jehovah.”

14 Jehovah spoke further to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai,+ saying: 15 “Register the sons of Levi by their paternal houses and by their families. You should register every male from a month old and up.”+ 16 So Moses registered them at the order of Jehovah, just as he had been commanded. 17 These were the names of the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.+

18 Now these were the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.+
19 The sons of Kohath by their families were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.+
20 The sons of Merari by their families were Mahli+ and Mushi.+

These were the families of the Levites by their paternal houses.

21 From Gershon came the family of the Libnites+ and the family of the Shimeites. These were the families of the Gershonites. 22 The number of all their males a month old and up who were registered was 7,500.+ 23 The families of the Gershonites were encamped behind the tabernacle+ toward the west. 24 The chieftain of the paternal house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael. 25 The responsibility of the sons of Gershon+ in the tent of meeting was to care for the tabernacle and the tent,+ its covering,+ the screen*+ of the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26 the hanging curtains+ of the courtyard, the screen*+ of the entrance of the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, its tent cords, and all the service connected with these.

27 From Kohath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites. These were the families of the Kohathites.+ 28 The number of all the males from a month old and up was 8,600; they were responsible for taking care of the holy place.+ 29 The families of the sons of Kohath camped on the south side of the tabernacle.+ 30 The chieftain of the paternal house of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.+ 31 Their responsibility was to care for the Ark,+ the table,+ the lampstand,+ the altars,+ the utensils+ used to minister in the holy place, the screen,*+ and all the service connected with these.+

32 The head chieftain of the Levites was Eleazar+ the son of Aaron the priest, who had the oversight of those taking care of the responsibilities of the holy place.

33 From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites. These were the families of Merari.+ 34 The number of all the males from a month old and up who were registered was 6,200.+ 35 The chieftain of the paternal house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were encamped on the north side of the tabernacle.+ 36 The sons of Merari were responsible for overseeing the panel frames+ of the tabernacle, its bars,+ its pillars,+ its socket pedestals, all its utensils,+ and all the service connected with these,+ 37 as well as the pillars that were all around the courtyard and their socket pedestals,+ their tent pins, and their tent cords.

38 Those camping in front of the tabernacle toward the east, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons. They were responsible for taking care of the sanctuary as their obligation in behalf of the Israelites. Any unauthorized person* coming near would be put to death.+

39 All the Levite males from a month old and up, whom Moses and Aaron registered by their families at the order of Jehovah, were 22,000.

40 Then Jehovah said to Moses: “Register all the firstborn males of the Israelites from a month old and up,+ count them, and make a list of their names. 41 You must take the Levites for me—I am Jehovah—in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites,+ and take the domestic animals of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the domestic animals of the Israelites.”+ 42 Moses then registered all the firstborn among the Israelites, just as Jehovah had commanded him. 43 The number of all the firstborn males who were registered by name from a month old and up was 22,273.

44 Jehovah continued to speak to Moses, saying: 45 “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the Israelites, and take the domestic animals of the Levites in place of their domestic animals, and the Levites must become mine. I am Jehovah. 46 As the ransom price+ of the 273 of the firstborn of the Israelites who are in excess of the Levites,+ 47 you are to take five shekels* for each individual,+ according to the standard shekel of the holy place.* A shekel is 20 gerahs.*+ 48 You are to give the money to Aaron and his sons as the ransom price of those who are in excess of them.” 49 So Moses took the money of the redemption price from those who were in excess of the ransom price of the Levites. 50 He took the money from the firstborn of the Israelites, 1,365 shekels, according to the standard shekel of the holy place. 51 Then Moses gave the money of the ransom price to Aaron and his sons according to the word* of Jehovah, just as Jehovah had commanded Moses.

4 Jehovah now spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 “A census should be taken of the sons of Kohath+ from among the sons of Levi, by their families and by their paternal houses, 3 all those from 30+ to 50 years old+ who are in the group assigned to work in the tent of meeting.+

4 “This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting.+ It is something most holy: 5 Aaron and his sons will come in when the camp is departing and take down the screening curtain+ and cover the ark+ of the Testimony with it. 6 They will put a sealskin covering over it and spread out a solid blue cloth over it and put its carrying poles+ in place.

7 “They will also spread out a blue cloth over the table of showbread,+ and they will put on it the dishes, the cups, the bowls, and the pitchers of the drink offering;+ the regular offering of bread+ should remain on it. 8 They will spread out a scarlet cloth over them and cover it with a sealskin covering and put its carrying poles+ in place. 9 Then they will take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand+ for the light, along with its lamps,+ its snuffers,* its fire holders,+ and all its containers for oil that are used to maintain it. 10 They will wrap it and all its utensils in a sealskin covering and put it on a carrying bar. 11 And they will spread out a blue cloth over the golden altar,+ cover it with a sealskin covering, and put its carrying poles+ in place. 12 They will then take all the utensils+ of the ministry with which they regularly minister in the holy place and put them in a blue cloth and cover them with a sealskin covering and put them on a carrying bar.

13 “They should remove the ashes* from the altar+ and spread out a cloth of purple wool over it. 14 They will put on it all its utensils that are used when they minister at the altar: the fire holders, the forks, the shovels, and the bowls, all the utensils of the altar;+ and they are to spread a sealskin covering over it and put its carrying poles+ in place.

15 “Aaron and his sons must finish covering the holy place+ and all the equipment of the holy place when the camp is departing. Then the sons of Kohath will come in to carry them,+ but they must not touch the holy place or they will die.+ These things are the responsibility* of the sons of Kohath in connection with the tent of meeting.

16 “Eleazar+ the son of Aaron the priest is responsible for overseeing the oil of the lighting,+ the perfumed incense,+ the regular grain offering, and the anointing oil.+ He has oversight of the entire tabernacle and all that is in it, including the holy place and its utensils.”

17 Jehovah spoke further to Moses and Aaron, saying: 18 “Do not let the tribe of the families of the Kohathites+ be cut off from among the Levites. 19 But do this for them that they may remain alive and not die because of approaching the most holy things.+ Aaron and his sons will go in and assign each of them to his service and what he is to carry. 20 They must not come in and see the holy things even for an instant, or they will die.”+

21 Then Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying: 22 “A census should be taken of the sons of Gershon+ by their paternal houses and their families. 23 You are to register all those from 30 to 50 years old who are in the group assigned to serve in the tent of meeting. 24 This is what the families of the Gershonites are assigned to care for and to carry:+ 25 They will carry the tent cloths of the tabernacle,+ the tent of meeting, its covering and the sealskin covering that is on top over it,+ the screen* of the entrance of the tent of meeting,+ 26 the hanging curtains of the courtyard,+ the screen* of the entrance of the courtyard+ that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, their tent cords and all their utensils and everything used in its service. This is their assignment. 27 All the service and the loads of the Gershonites+ should be overseen by Aaron and his sons; you will assign all these loads as their responsibility. 28 This is the service that the families of the Gershonites are to carry out in the tent of meeting,+ and their responsibilities are under the direction of Ithamar+ the son of Aaron the priest.

29 “As for the sons of Merari,+ you will register them by family and by their paternal house. 30 From 30 to 50 years old you will register them, all who are in the group assigned to the service of the tent of meeting. 31 This is what they are responsible for carrying+ in connection with their service at the tent of meeting: the panel frames+ of the tabernacle, its bars,+ its pillars,+ its socket pedestals;+ 32 the pillars+ of the surrounding courtyard, their socket pedestals,+ their tent pins,+ and their tent cords together with all their equipment and all the service connected with these. You will assign to them by name the equipment they are responsible for carrying. 33 This is how the families of the sons of Merari+ are to serve at the tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”+

34 Moses and Aaron and the chieftains+ of the assembly then registered the sons of the Kohathites+ by their families and by their paternal house, 35 all those from 30 to 50 years old who were in the group assigned to the service of the tent of meeting.+ 36 The total of those registered by their families was 2,750.+ 37 These were registered from the families of the Kohathites, all those who were serving at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron registered them at the order of Jehovah through Moses.+

38 The sons of Gershon+ were registered by their families and by their paternal house, 39 all those from 30 to 50 years old who were in the group assigned to the service at the tent of meeting. 40 The total of those registered by their families and by their paternal house was 2,630.+ 41 This was the registration of the families of the sons of Gershon, all those who were serving at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron had them registered at the order of Jehovah.+

42 The sons of Merari were registered by their families and by their paternal house, 43 all those from 30 to 50 years old who were in the group assigned to the service at the tent of meeting.+ 44 The total of those registered of them by their families was 3,200.+ 45 This was the registration of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron registered at the order of Jehovah through Moses.+

46 Moses and Aaron and the chieftains of Israel registered all these Levites by their families and by their paternal houses; 47 they were from 30 to 50 years old, and all were assigned to serve and carry loads in connection with the tent of meeting.+ 48 The total of those registered was 8,580.+ 49 They were registered at the order of Jehovah through Moses, each according to his assigned service and his load; they were registered just as Jehovah had commanded Moses.

5 Jehovah spoke further to Moses, saying: 2 “Command the Israelites to send out of the camp every leprous person+ and everyone having a discharge+ and everyone unclean by a dead person.*+ 3 Whether a male or a female, you should send them out. You should send them outside the camp, so that they may not contaminate+ the camps of those in whose midst I am dwelling.”*+ 4 Therefore, the Israelites did so and sent them outside the camp. Just as Jehovah told Moses, so the Israelites did.

5 Jehovah continued speaking to Moses, saying: 6 “Tell the Israelites, ‘If a man or a woman commits any of the sins of mankind and acts unfaithfully toward Jehovah, that person* has become guilty.+ 7 He* must confess+ the sin that he has* committed and return the full amount as compensation for his guilt and also add a fifth of its value;+ he is to give it to the one he wronged. 8 But if the victim does not have a close relative to receive the compensation, it should be returned to Jehovah and will belong to the priest, apart from the ram of atonement with which he will make atonement for him.+

9 “‘Every holy contribution+ from the Israelites that is presented to the priest should become his.+ 10 The holy things of each person will remain his own. Whatever each one gives to the priest, that will belong to the priest.’”

11 Jehovah went on to speak to Moses, saying: 12 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘This is what should be done if a man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him 13 and another man has sexual relations with her,+ but it was unknown to her husband and remains undiscovered, so that she has defiled herself but there is no witness against her and she has not been caught: 14 Whether the husband becomes jealous and suspicious of his wife’s faithfulness when she has defiled herself, or whether he is jealous and suspicious of his wife’s faithfulness when she has not defiled herself, 15 the man must bring his wife to the priest, along with an offering for her, a tenth of an ephah* of barley flour. He must not pour oil on it nor put frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering bringing guilt to mind.

16 “‘The priest will bring her forward and make her stand before Jehovah.+ 17 The priest will take holy water in an earthenware vessel, and the priest will take some of the dust from the floor of the tabernacle and put it in the water. 18 And the priest will make the woman stand before Jehovah and unbind the woman’s hair and put in her palms the grain offering for a reminder, that is, the grain offering of jealousy,+ and the priest will have in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse.+

19 “‘The priest will then make her swear, saying to the woman: “If no other man had sexual relations with you while you were under your husband’s authority+ and you have not gone astray and become defiled, may you be free of the effect of this bitter water that brings a curse. 20 But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority by defiling yourself, and you have had sexual relations with another man+ besides your husband—” 21 The priest will then make the woman swear an oath that includes a curse, and the priest will say to the woman: “May Jehovah make you an object for cursing and for an oath among your people, as Jehovah makes your thigh* fall away* and causes your abdomen to swell. 22 This water that brings a curse will enter into your intestines to cause your abdomen to swell and make your thigh* fall away.”* To this the woman should say: “Amen! Amen!”*

23 “‘Then the priest should write these curses in the book and wash them off into the bitter water. 24 He will then make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings a curse will enter into her and produce bitterness. 25 And the priest should take the grain offering of jealousy+ from the woman’s hand and wave the grain offering back and forth before Jehovah, and he will bring it near the altar. 26 The priest will take a handful of the grain offering as a token offering and make it smoke on the altar,+ and afterward he will make the woman drink the water. 27 When he makes her drink the water, if she has defiled herself and committed an act of unfaithfulness toward her husband, the water that brings a curse will then enter into her and become something bitter, and her abdomen will swell, and her thigh* will fall away,* and the woman will become an object of cursing among her people. 28 However, if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, she will then be free from such punishment, and she will be able to conceive and produce offspring.

29 “‘This is the law about jealousy,+ when a woman may go astray and defile herself while under her husband’s authority, 30 or in the case of a man who becomes jealous and suspects his wife of unfaithfulness; he should make his wife stand before Jehovah, and the priest must carry out toward her all this law. 31 The man will be free from guilt, but his wife will answer for her guilt.’” 

6 Jehovah spoke further to Moses and said: 2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘If a man or a woman takes a special vow to live as a Nazirite*+ to Jehovah, 3 he should keep away from wine and other alcoholic beverages. He should not drink the vinegar of wine or the vinegar of anything alcoholic.+ He should not drink any liquid made from grapes, nor eat grapes, whether fresh or dried. 4 All the days of his Naziriteship he should not eat anything made from the grapevine, from the unripe grapes to the skins.

5 “‘All the days of the vow of his Naziriteship no razor should pass over his head.+ He is to remain holy by letting the hair of his head grow until the days of his being set apart to Jehovah are completed. 6 He should not approach* a dead person* during all the days he remains separated to Jehovah. 7 Even if his father or his mother or his brother or his sister should die, he may not defile himself,+ because the sign of his Naziriteship to his God is upon his head.

8 “‘He is holy to Jehovah all the days of his Naziriteship. 9 But if someone should suddenly die alongside him+ and he defiles the hair symbolizing his separation to God,* he must shave his head+ on the day he establishes his purification. He should shave it on the seventh day. 10 And on the eighth day, he should bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 11 The priest will prepare one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering and make atonement for him for his sin+ in connection with the dead person.* Then he must sanctify his head on that day. 12 And he must separate himself again to Jehovah for the days of his Naziriteship, and he will bring a young ram in its first year as a guilt offering. However, the former days will go uncounted because he defiled his Naziriteship.

13 “‘Now this is the law about the Nazirite: When he completes the days of his Naziriteship,+ he will be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting. 14 There he must present his offering to Jehovah: one sound young ram in its first year as a burnt offering,+ one sound female lamb in its first year as a sin offering,+ one sound ram as a communion sacrifice,+ 15 a basket of unleavened ring-shaped loaves of fine flour mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and their grain offering+ and their drink offerings.+ 16 The priest will present them before Jehovah and will offer up his sin offering and his burnt offering. 17 He will offer the ram as a communion sacrifice to Jehovah along with the basket of unleavened loaves, and the priest will present its grain offering+ and its drink offering.

18 “‘The Nazirite must then shave the uncut hair of his head*+ at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and he will take the hair of his head grown during his Naziriteship and put it on the fire that is under the communion sacrifice. 19 And the priest must take a boiled+ shoulder from the ram, one unleavened ring-shaped loaf from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and put them on the palms of the Nazirite after he has had the sign of his Naziriteship shaved off. 20 And the priest must wave them back and forth as a wave offering before Jehovah.+ It is something holy for the priest, along with the breast of the wave offering and the leg of the contribution.+ Afterward, the Nazirite may drink wine.

21 “‘This is the law about the Nazirite+ who makes a vow: If he vows and can afford to make an offering to Jehovah that is beyond the requirements of his Naziriteship, he must then carry out his vow out of regard for the law of his Naziriteship.’”

22 Then Jehovah said to Moses: 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is the way you should bless+ the people of Israel. Say to them:
    24 “May Jehovah bless you+ and safeguard you.
    25 May Jehovah make his face shine upon you,+ and may he favor you.
    26 May Jehovah lift up his face toward you and grant you peace.”’+

27 And they must place my name upon the people of Israel,+ that I may bless them.”+

7 On the day that Moses finished setting up the tabernacle,+ he anointed it+ and sanctified it, together with all its furnishings, the altar, and all its utensils.+ When he had anointed and sanctified these things,+ 2 the chieftains of Israel,+ the heads of their paternal houses, made an offering. These chieftains of the tribes who presided over the registration 3 brought before Jehovah their offering of six covered wagons and 12 oxen, a wagon for two chieftains and a bull* for each one; and they presented them before the tabernacle. 4 Jehovah said to Moses: 5 “Accept these things from them, as they will be used for the service of the tent of meeting, and you should give them to the Levites, to each one as needed for his duties.”

6 So Moses accepted the wagons and the cattle and gave them to the Levites. 7 He gave two wagons and four oxen to the sons of Gershon, according to what was needed for their duties;+ 8 and he gave four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of Merari, according to what was needed for their duties, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.+ 9 But he did not give any to the sons of Kohath because their duties involved the service of the holy place,+ and they carried the holy things on their shoulders.+

10 Now the chieftains made their presentation at the inauguration*+ of the altar on the day it was anointed. When the chieftains presented their offering before the altar, 11 Jehovah said to Moses: “One chieftain each day, on successive days, will present his offering for the inauguration of the altar.”

12 The one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon+ the son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah. 13 His offering was one silver dish weighing 130 shekels* and one silver bowl weighing 70 shekels by the standard shekel of the holy place,*+ both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;+ 14 one gold cup* weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 15 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year for a burnt offering;+ 16 one young goat for a sin offering;+ 17 and for a communion sacrifice,+ two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs each a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.+

18 On the second day, Nethanel+ the son of Zuar, the chieftain of Issachar, made a presentation. 19 He presented as his offering one silver dish weighing 130 shekels and one silver bowl weighing 70 shekels by the standard shekel of the holy place,+ both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;+ 20 one gold cup weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 21 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year for a burnt offering;+ 22 one young goat for a sin offering;+ 23 and for a communion sacrifice,+ two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs each a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar.

24 On the third day, the chieftain for the sons of Zebulun, Eliab+ the son of Helon, 25 made his offering of one silver dish weighing 130 shekels and one silver bowl weighing 70 shekels by the standard shekel of the holy place,+ both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;+ 26 one gold cup weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 27 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year for a burnt offering;+ 28 one young goat for a sin offering;+ 29 and for a communion sacrifice,+ two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs each a year old. This was the offering of Eliab+ the son of Helon.

30 On the fourth day, the chieftain for the sons of Reuben, Elizur+ the son of Shedeur, 31 made his offering of one silver dish weighing 130 shekels and one silver bowl weighing 70 shekels by the standard shekel of the holy place,+ both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;+ 32 one gold cup weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 33 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year for a burnt offering;+ 34 one young goat for a sin offering;+ 35 and for a communion sacrifice,+ two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs each a year old. This was the offering of Elizur+ the son of Shedeur.

36 On the fifth day, the chieftain for the sons of Simeon, Shelumiel+ the son of Zurishaddai, 37 made his offering of one silver dish weighing 130 shekels and one silver bowl weighing 70 shekels by the standard shekel of the holy place,+ both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;+ 38 one gold cup weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 39 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year for a burnt offering;+ 40 one young goat for a sin offering;+ 41 and for a communion sacrifice,+ two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs each a year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel+ the son of Zurishaddai.

42 On the sixth day, the chieftain for the sons of Gad, Eliasaph+ the son of Deuel, 43 made his offering of one silver dish weighing 130 shekels and one silver bowl weighing 70 shekels by the standard shekel of the holy place,+ both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;+ 44 one gold cup weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 45 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year for a burnt offering;+ 46 one young goat for a sin offering;+ 47 and for a communion sacrifice,+ two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs each a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph+ the son of Deuel.

48 On the seventh day, the chieftain for the sons of Ephraim, Elishama+ the son of Ammihud, 49 made his offering of one silver dish weighing 130 shekels and one silver bowl weighing 70 shekels by the standard shekel of the holy place,+ both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;+ 50 one gold cup weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 51 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year for a burnt offering;+ 52 one young goat for a sin offering;+ 53 and for a communion sacrifice,+ two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs each a year old. This was the offering of Elishama+ the son of Ammihud.

54 On the eighth day, the chieftain for the sons of Manasseh, Gamaliel+ the son of Pedahzur, 55 made his offering of one silver dish weighing 130 shekels and one silver bowl weighing 70 shekels by the standard shekel of the holy place,+ both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;+ 56 one gold cup weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 57 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year for a burnt offering;+ 58 one young goat for a sin offering;+ 59 and for a communion sacrifice,+ two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs each a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel+ the son of Pedahzur.

60 On the ninth day, the chieftain+ for the sons of Benjamin, Abidan+ the son of Gideoni, 61 made his offering of one silver dish weighing 130 shekels and one silver bowl weighing 70 shekels by the standard shekel of the holy place,+ both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;+ 62 one gold cup weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 63 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year for a burnt offering;+ 64 one young goat for a sin offering;+ 65 and for a communion sacrifice,+ two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs each a year old. This was the offering of Abidan+ the son of Gideoni.

66 On the tenth day, the chieftain for the sons of Dan, Ahiezer+ the son of Ammishaddai, 67 made his offering of one silver dish weighing 130 shekels and one silver bowl weighing 70 shekels by the standard shekel of the holy place,+ both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;+ 68 one gold cup weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 69 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year for a burnt offering;+ 70 one young goat for a sin offering;+ 71 and for a communion sacrifice,+ two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs each a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer+ the son of Ammishaddai.

72 On the 11th day, the chieftain for the sons of Asher, Pagiel+ the son of Ochran, 73 made his offering of one silver dish weighing 130 shekels and one silver bowl weighing 70 shekels by the standard shekel of the holy place,+ both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;+ 74 one gold cup weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 75 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year for a burnt offering;+ 76 one young goat for a sin offering;+ 77 and for a communion sacrifice,+ two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs each a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel+ the son of Ochran.

78 On the 12th day, the chieftain for the sons of Naphtali, Ahira+ the son of Enan, 79 made his offering of one silver dish weighing 130 shekels and one silver bowl weighing 70 shekels by the standard shekel of the holy place,+ both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;+ 80 one gold cup weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; 81 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year for a burnt offering;+ 82 one young goat for a sin offering;+ 83 and for a communion sacrifice,+ two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs each a year old. This was the offering of Ahira+ the son of Enan.

84 This was the inauguration offering+ of the altar from the chieftains of Israel when it was anointed: 12 silver dishes, 12 silver bowls, 12 gold cups;+ 85 each silver dish weighing 130 shekels and each bowl weighing 70 shekels, all the silver of the vessels amounting to 2,400 shekels by the standard shekel of the holy place;+ 86 the 12 gold cups full of incense each weighed 10 shekels by the standard shekel of the holy place, all the gold of the cups amounting to 120 shekels. 87 All the cattle for the burnt offering were 12 bulls, 12 rams, 12 male lambs each a year old and their grain offerings, and 12 young goats for a sin offering; 88 and all the cattle of the communion sacrifice amounted to 24 bulls, 60 rams, 60 male goats, and 60 male lambs each a year old. This was the inauguration offering+ of the altar after it was anointed.+

89 Whenever Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with God,*+ he would hear the voice conversing with him from above the cover+ of the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubs;+ and God would speak to him. 12:7; Ex.33:11

8 Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to Aaron and tell him, ‘When you light up the lamps, the seven lamps should shine on the area in front of the lampstand.’”+ 3 So Aaron did this: He lit up its lamps for the area in front of the lampstand,+ just as Jehovah had commanded Moses. 4 This is how the lampstand was made: It was hammered work of gold; from its stem to its blossoms, it was hammered work.+ The lampstand was made according to the vision+ that Jehovah had shown Moses.

5 Jehovah spoke again to Moses, saying: 6 “Take the Levites from among the Israelites, and cleanse them.+ 7 This is how you should cleanse them: Sprinkle sin-cleansing water on them, and they must shave their whole body with a razor, wash their garments, and cleanse themselves.+ 8 Then they will take a young bull+ and its grain offering+ of fine flour mixed with oil, and you will take another young bull for a sin offering.+ 9 And you are to present the Levites before the tent of meeting and gather all the assembly of the Israelites.+ 10 When you present the Levites before Jehovah, the Israelites are to lay their hands on the Levites.+ 11 And Aaron must offer* the Levites before Jehovah as a wave offering+ from the Israelites, and they will carry out the service of Jehovah.+

12 “Then the Levites will lay their hands on the heads of the bulls.+ After that, offer the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to Jehovah to make atonement+ for the Levites. 13 And you will have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons and offer* them as a wave offering to Jehovah. 14 You must separate the Levites from among the Israelites, and the Levites will become mine.+ 15 Afterward, the Levites will come in to serve at the tent of meeting. This is how you should cleanse them and offer* them as a wave offering. 16 For they are given ones, given to me from among the Israelites. In place of all those who are firstborn* of the Israelites,+ I will take them for myself. 17 For every firstborn among the Israelites is mine, both man and animal.+ I sanctified them to myself on the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt.+ 18 I will take the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the Israelites. 19 I will give the Levites as given ones to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to carry out the service in behalf of the Israelites at the tent of meeting+ and to make atonement for the Israelites, so that no plague may occur among the Israelites+ because the people of Israel come near the holy place.”

20 Moses and Aaron and all the assembly of the Israelites did this with the Levites. In accord with all that Jehovah had commanded Moses regarding the Levites, that is what the Israelites did with them. 21 So the Levites purified themselves and washed their garments,+ after which Aaron offered* them as a wave offering before Jehovah.+ Then Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.+ 22 Thereafter, the Levites went in to carry out their service at the tent of meeting before Aaron and his sons. Just as Jehovah had commanded Moses respecting the Levites, so they did with them.

23 Jehovah now spoke to Moses, saying: 24 “This applies to the Levites: From 25 years old and up, a man will join the company of those in the service of the tent of meeting. 25 But after the age of 50 years, he will retire from the service company and not serve any longer. 26 He may minister to his brothers who are taking care of the responsibilities at the tent of meeting, but he must not perform the service there. This is what you are to do regarding the Levites and their responsibilities.”+

9 Jehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the first month+ of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: 2 “The Israelites should prepare the Passover sacrifice+ at its appointed time.+ 3 On the 14th day of this month at twilight,* you should prepare it at its appointed time. According to all its statutes and all its set procedures, you should prepare it.”+

4 So Moses told the Israelites to prepare the Passover sacrifice. 5 Then they prepared the Passover sacrifice in the first month, on the 14th day of the month at twilight,* in the wilderness of Sinai. According to all that Jehovah had commanded Moses, so the Israelites did.

6 Now there were men who had become unclean by touching a dead body,*+ so that they were not able to prepare the Passover sacrifice on that day. So those men presented themselves before Moses and Aaron on that day+ 7 and said to him: “We are unclean because of touching a dead body.* Why should we be kept from presenting the offering to Jehovah at its appointed time among the Israelites?”+ 8 At this Moses said to them: “Wait there, and let me hear what Jehovah may command regarding you.”+

9 Then Jehovah said to Moses: 10 “Tell the Israelites, ‘Although any man among you or of your future generations should become unclean by touching a dead body*+ or should be off on a distant journey, he must still prepare the Passover sacrifice to Jehovah. 11 They should prepare it in the second month,+ on the 14th day at twilight.* They should eat it together with unleavened bread and bitter greens.+ 12 They must not let any of it remain until morning,+ and they should not break any bone in it.+ They should prepare it according to every statute regarding the Passover. 13 But if a man was clean or was not off on a journey and neglected to prepare the Passover sacrifice, that person* must then be cut off* from his people,+ because he did not present the offering of Jehovah at its appointed time. That man will answer for his sin.

14 “‘And if a foreign resident is residing with you, he should also prepare the Passover sacrifice to Jehovah.+ He should do so according to the statute of the Passover and its set procedure.+ There should exist one statute for you, both for the foreign resident and for the native of the land.’”+ 15:15-16, 29

15 Now on the day the tabernacle was set up,+ the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the Testimony, but in the evening what appeared to be fire remained over the tabernacle until morning.+ 16 That is what continued to take place: The cloud would cover it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.+ 17 Whenever the cloud lifted from the tent, the Israelites would promptly depart,+ and in the place where the cloud would remain, there is where the Israelites would encamp.+ 18 At the order of Jehovah the Israelites would depart, and at the order of Jehovah they would encamp.+ As long as the cloud remained over the tabernacle, they would remain encamped. 19 When the cloud would stay over the tabernacle for many days, the Israelites would obey Jehovah and not depart.+ 20 Sometimes the cloud would remain for a few days over the tabernacle. At the order of Jehovah they would remain encamped, and at the order of Jehovah they would depart. 21 Sometimes the cloud would remain only from evening until morning, and when the cloud lifted in the morning, they would depart. Whether it was day or night when the cloud lifted, they would depart.+ 22 Whether it was two days, a month, or longer, as long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, the Israelites remained encamped and would not depart. But when it lifted, they would depart. 23 At the order of Jehovah they would encamp, and at the order of Jehovah they would depart. They kept their obligation to Jehovah at the order of Jehovah through Moses.

10 Jehovah then said to Moses: 2 “Make two trumpets+ for yourself; make them of hammered silver, and use them to summon the assembly and to break up the camps. 3 When both of them are blown, the whole assembly must be summoned to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting.+ 4 If just one is blown, only the chieftains, the heads of the thousands of Israel, will be summoned to you.+

5 “When you sound a fluctuating trumpet blast, the camps of those to the east+ should depart. 6 When you sound a fluctuating trumpet blast a second time, the camps of those to the south+ should depart. They should sound the trumpet blasts in this way each time one of them departs.

7 “Now when calling the congregation together, you should blow the trumpets,+ but not with fluctuating blasts. 8 Aaron’s sons, the priests, should blow the trumpets,+ and the use of them will serve as a lasting statute for you throughout your generations.

9 “If you should go to war in your land against an oppressor who is harassing you, you should sound a war call on the trumpets,+ and you will be remembered by Jehovah your God and be saved from your enemies.

10 “Also, on your joyous occasions+—your festivals+ and at the beginning of your months—you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings+ and your communion sacrifices;+ they will serve as a reminder for you before your God. I am Jehovah your God.”+

11 Now in the second year, in the second month, on the 20th day of the month,+ the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle+ of the Testimony. 12 So the Israelites began to pull away from the wilderness of Sinai in the order established for their departure,+ and the cloud settled in the wilderness of Paran.+ 13 This was the first time they departed following the order of Jehovah through Moses.+

14 So the three-tribe division of the camp of the sons of Judah departed first by their companies,* and Nahshon+ the son of Amminadab was over its company. 15 Over the company of the tribe of the sons of Issachar was Nethanel+ the son of Zuar. 16 Over the company of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun was Eliab+ the son of Helon.

17 When the tabernacle was taken down,+ the sons of Gershon+ and the sons of Merari,+ who carried the tabernacle, departed.

18 Then the three-tribe division of the camp of Reuben departed by their companies,* and Elizur+ the son of Shedeur was over its company. 19 Over the company of the tribe of the sons of Simeon was Shelumiel+ the son of Zurishaddai. 20 Over the company of the tribe of the sons of Gad was Eliasaph+ the son of Deuel.

21 Then the Kohathites, who carried the sanctuary items,+ departed. The tabernacle was to be set up by the time they arrived.

22 Then the three-tribe division of the camp of the sons of Ephraim departed by their companies,* and Elishama+ the son of Ammihud was over its company. 23 Over the company of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh was Gamaliel+ the son of Pedahzur. 24 Over the company of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin was Abidan+ the son of Gideoni.

25 Then the three-tribe division of the camp of the sons of Dan departed by their companies,* forming the rear guard for all the camps, and Ahiezer+ the son of Ammishaddai was over its company. 26 Over the company of the tribe of the sons of Asher was Pagiel+ the son of Ochran. 27 Over the company of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali was Ahira+ the son of Enan. 28 This was the order of departure that the Israelites and their companies* followed when they would depart.+

29 Then Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel*+ the Midianite, the father-in-law of Moses: “We are setting out for the place about which Jehovah said, ‘I will give it to you.’+ Do come with us,+ and we will treat you well, because Jehovah has promised good things for Israel.”+ 30 But he said to him: “I will not go. I will return to my own country and to my relatives.” 31 At this he said: “Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our guide.* 32 And if you do come with us,+ whatever goodness Jehovah shows to us, we will surely show to you.”

33 So they began marching from the mountain of Jehovah+ for a journey of three days, and the ark+ of Jehovah’s covenant traveled before them for the three-day journey to search out a resting-place for them.+ 34 And Jehovah’s cloud+ was over them by day when they set out from the encampment.

35 Whenever the Ark was moved, Moses would say: “Rise up, O Jehovah,+ and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee from before you.” 36 And when it would rest, he would say: “Do return, O Jehovah, to the countless* thousands of Israel.”+

11 Now the people began to complain bitterly before Jehovah. When Jehovah heard it, his anger flared, and a fire from Jehovah began to blaze against them and to consume some on the outskirts of the camp. 2 When the people began to cry out to Moses, he made supplication to Jehovah,+ and the fire died out. 3 So that place was given the name Taberah,* because a fire from Jehovah had blazed against them.+

4 The mixed crowd*+ who were in their midst then expressed selfish longing,+ and the Israelites too began to weep again and say: “Who will give us meat to eat?+ 5 How fondly we remember the fish that we used to eat without cost in Egypt, also the cucumbers, the watermelons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic!+ 6 But now we* are withering away. We see nothing at all except this manna.”+

7 Incidentally, the manna+ was like coriander seed,+ and it looked like bdellium gum. 8 The people would spread out and pick it up and grind it in hand mills or pound it in a mortar. Then they would boil it in cooking pots or make it into round loaves,+ and it tasted like an oiled sweet cake. 9 When the dew descended on the camp by night, the manna would also descend on it.+

10 Moses heard the people weeping, family after family, each man at the entrance of his tent. And Jehovah became very angry,+ and Moses was also very displeased. 11 Then Moses said to Jehovah: “Why have you afflicted your servant? Why have I not found favor in your eyes, so that you put the burden of all this people on me?+ 12 Did I conceive all this people? Did I give birth to them, so that you should tell me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, just as an attendant* carries the nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give to their forefathers?+ 13 From where will I get meat to give to all this people? For they keep weeping before me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 14 I am not able to bear all this people by myself; it is too much for me.+ 15 If this is how you are going to treat me, please kill me right now.+ If I have found favor in your eyes, do not make me see any more calamity.”

16 Jehovah replied to Moses: “Gather for me 70 men from the elders of Israel, men whom you recognize as* elders and officials of the people,+ and take them to the tent of meeting, and have them stand there with you. 17 I will come down+ and speak with you there,+ and I will take away some of the spirit+ that is on you and place it on them, and they will help you in bearing the burden of the people so that you may not have to bear it alone.+ 18 You should say to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow,+ for you will certainly eat meat, because you have wept in Jehovah’s hearing+ and have said: “Who will give us meat to eat? It was better for us in Egypt.”+ Jehovah will certainly give you meat, and you will eat.+ 19 You will eat, not one day nor 2 days nor 5 days nor 10 days nor 20 days, 20 but for a whole month of days, until it comes out of your nostrils and it has become loathsome to you,+ for you rejected Jehovah, who is in your midst, and you were weeping before him, saying: “Why is it that we have come out of Egypt?”’”+

21 Then Moses said: “The people I am among number 600,000 men+ on foot, and yet you yourself have said, ‘Meat I will give them, and they will eat enough for a whole month of days’! 22 If whole flocks and herds were slaughtered, would it be enough for them? Or if all the fish of the sea were caught, would it be enough for them?”

23 Jehovah then said to Moses: “Is the hand of Jehovah too short?+ Now you will see whether what I say will happen to you or not.”

24 So Moses went out and spoke the words of Jehovah to the people. And he gathered 70 men from the elders of the people and had them stand around the tent.+ 25 Then Jehovah came down in a cloud+ and spoke to him+ and took away some of the spirit+ that was on him and put it on each of the 70 elders. And as soon as the spirit settled down on them, they began to behave as prophets,*+ but they did not do it again.

26 There were two of the men still in the camp. Their names were Eldad and Medad. And the spirit began to settle down on them, as they were among those whose names had been written down, but they had not gone out to the tent. So they began to behave as prophets in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and reported to Moses: “Eldad and Medad are behaving as prophets in the camp!” 28 Then Joshua+ the son of Nun, the minister of Moses from his youth, responded and said: “My lord Moses, restrain them!”+ 29 But Moses said to him: “Are you jealous for me? No, I wish that all of Jehovah’s people were prophets and that Jehovah would put his spirit on them!” 30 Later Moses returned to the camp along with the elders of Israel.

31 Then a wind from Jehovah sprang up and began driving quail from the sea and causing them to fall around the camp,+ about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and they were about two cubits* deep on the ground. 32 So all that day and all night and all the next day, the people stayed up and gathered the quail. No one gathered less than ten homers,* and they kept spreading them all around the camp for themselves. 33 But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it could be chewed, Jehovah’s anger blazed against the people, and Jehovah began striking the people with a very great slaughter.+

34 So they gave that place the name Kibroth-hattaavah,*+ because there they buried the people who showed selfish craving.+ 35 From Kibroth-hattaavah the people departed for Hazeroth, and they remained at Hazeroth.+

12 Now Miriam and Aaron began to speak against Moses because of the Cushite wife he had married, for he had taken a Cushite wife.+ 2 They were saying: “Is it only by Moses that Jehovah has spoken? Has he not also spoken through us?”+ And Jehovah was listening.+ 3 Now the man Moses was by far the meekest of all the men*+ on the face of the earth.

4 Jehovah suddenly said to Moses and Aaron and Miriam: “Go out, the three of you, to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them went out. 5 And Jehovah came down in the pillar of cloud+ and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam. Both of them went forward. 6 He then said: “Hear my words, please. If there was a prophet of Jehovah among you, I would make myself known to him in a vision,+ and I would speak to him in a dream.+ 7 But it is not that way with my servant Moses! He is being entrusted with all my house.*+ 8 Face-to-face* I speak to him,+ 7:89; Ex.33:11 openly, not by riddles; and the appearance of Jehovah is what he sees. Why, then, did you not fear to speak against my servant, against Moses?”

9 So Jehovah’s anger burned against them, and he departed from them. 10 The cloud moved away from over the tent, and look! Miriam was struck with leprosy as white as snow.+ Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and he saw that she was struck with leprosy.+ 11 Immediately Aaron said to Moses: “I beg you, my lord! Please do not hold this sin against us! We have acted foolishly in what we have done. 12 Please, do not let her continue like someone dead, whose flesh is half eaten away at birth!” 13 And Moses began to cry out to Jehovah, saying: “O God, please heal her! Please!”+

14 Jehovah replied to Moses: “If her father would spit directly in her face, would she not be humiliated for seven days? Let her be quarantined for seven days outside the camp,+ and afterward she may be brought back in.” 15 So Miriam was quarantined outside the camp for seven days,+ and the people did not break camp until Miriam was brought back in. 16 Then the people departed from Hazeroth+ and began camping in the wilderness of Paran.+

13 Jehovah now spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Send out men to spy* out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. You are to send out one man from each ancestral tribe, each one a chieftain+ among them.”+

3 So Moses sent them out from the wilderness of Paran+ at the order of Jehovah. All the men were heads of the Israelites. 4 These are their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur; 5 of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori; 6 of the tribe of Judah, Caleb+ the son of Jephunneh; 7 of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph; 8 of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea+ the son of Nun; 9 of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu; 10 of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi; 11 of the tribe of Joseph,+ for the tribe of Manasseh,+ Gaddi the son of Susi; 12 of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli; 13 of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael; 14 of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi; 15 of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. 16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses gave the name Joshua*+ to Hoshea the son of Nun.

17 When Moses was sending them to spy out the land of Canaan, he said to them: “Go up there into the Negeb, and then go up into the mountainous region.+ 18 You must see what kind of land it is+ and whether the people who are dwelling in it are strong or weak, few or many, 19 and whether the land is good or bad and whether the cities they are dwelling in are encampments or fortifications. 20 And find out whether the land is rich* or poor*+ and whether there are trees in it or not. You must be courageous+ and take some of the fruitage of the land.” Now it was the season of the first ripe grapes.+

21 So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin+ to Rehob,+ near Lebo-hamath.*+ 22 When they went up into the Negeb, they came to Hebron,+ where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai,+ the Anakim,+ were living. Incidentally, Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan of Egypt. 23 When they came to the Valley* of Eshcol,+ there they cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes, which two of the men had to carry on a bar, as well as some of the pomegranates and figs.+ 24 They called that place the Valley* of Eshcol*+ because of the cluster that the Israelites cut down from there.

25 At the end of 40 days,+ they returned from spying out the land. 26 So they came back to Moses and Aaron and all the assembly of the Israelites in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh.+ They brought back a report to all the assembly and showed them the fruitage of the land. 27 This is what they reported to Moses: “We entered the land into which you sent us, and it is indeed flowing with milk and honey,+ and this is its fruitage.+ 28 Nevertheless, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the fortified cities are very great. We also saw the Anakim there.+ 29 The Amalekites+ are dwelling in the land of the Negeb,+ and the Hittites, the Jebusites,+ and the Amorites+ are dwelling in the mountainous region, and the Canaanites+ are dwelling by the sea+ and along the Jordan.”

30 Then Caleb tried to calm the people as they stood before Moses by saying: “Let us go up immediately, and we are sure to take possession of it, because we can surely conquer it.”+ 31 But the men who went up with him said: “We are not able to go up against the people, because they are stronger than we are.”+ 32 And they kept on giving the Israelites a bad report+ about the land that they had spied out, saying: “The land that we passed through to spy out is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of extraordinary size.+ 33 And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak,+ who are from* the Nephilim, and in comparison we seemed like grasshoppers, both to us and to them.”

14 Then all the assembly raised their voice, and the people continued crying out and weeping all through that night.+ 2 All the Israelites began to murmur against Moses and Aaron,+ and the whole assembly spoke against them, saying: “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is Jehovah bringing us to this land to fall by the sword?+ Our wives and children will become plunder.+ Is it not better for us to return to Egypt?”+ 4 They were even saying to one another: “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt!”+

5 At this Moses and Aaron fell with their faces to the ground before the whole assembled congregation of the Israelites. 6 Joshua+ the son of Nun and Caleb+ the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who spied out the land, ripped their garments apart, 7 and they said this to all the assembly of the Israelites: “The land that we passed through to spy out is a very, very good land.+ 8 If Jehovah is pleased with us, he will certainly bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that is flowing with milk and honey.+ 9 But you must not rebel against Jehovah, and you must not fear the people of the land,+ for we will devour them.* Their protection has been removed from them, and Jehovah is with us.+ Do not fear them.”

10 However, all the assembly talked of stoning them.+ But Jehovah’s glory appeared on the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel.+

11 Then Jehovah said to Moses: “How much longer will this people treat me without respect,+ and how much longer will they not put faith in me in spite of all the signs that I performed among them?+ 12 Let me strike them with pestilence and drive them away, and let me make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are.”+

13 But Moses said to Jehovah: “Then the Egyptians, from whose midst you brought this people out by your power, will hear,+ 14 and they will speak about it to the inhabitants of this land. These also have heard that you, Jehovah, are among this people+ and have appeared to them face-to-face.+ You are Jehovah, and your cloud is standing over them, and you are going before them in the pillar of cloud by day and in the pillar of fire by night.+ 15 If you put this people to death all at once,* the nations who have heard of your fame would say this: 16 ‘Jehovah was not able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’+ 17 Please, now, Jehovah, let your power be great, as you promised when you said: 18 ‘Jehovah, slow to anger and abundant in loyal love,*+ pardoning error and transgression, but he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, bringing punishment for the error of fathers upon sons, upon the third generation and upon the fourth generation.’+ 19 Forgive, please, the error of this people according to your great loyal love, just as you have pardoned this people from Egypt until now.”+

20 Then Jehovah said: “I forgive them according to your word.+ 21 But on the other hand, as surely as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of Jehovah.+ 22 However, not one of the men who have seen my glory and my signs+ that I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness and yet have kept testing me+ these ten times and have not listened to my voice+ 23 will ever see the land about which I swore to their fathers. No, not one of those treating me without respect will see it.+ 24 But because my servant Caleb+ had a different spirit and kept following after me wholeheartedly, I will certainly bring him into the land where he went, and his offspring will take possession of it.+ 25 Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites+ are dwelling in the valley,* you should turn back tomorrow and set off for the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”+

26 Jehovah then said to Moses and Aaron: 27 “How much longer will this evil assembly keep up this murmuring against me?+ I have heard what the Israelites are murmuring against me.+ 28 Say to them, ‘“As surely as I live,” declares Jehovah, “I will do to you just what I have heard you speak!+ 29 In this wilderness your corpses will fall,+ yes, the whole number of you from 20 years old and up who were registered, all of you who have murmured against me.+ 30 None of you will enter into the land that I swore* to have you reside in+ except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.+

31 “‘“And I will bring in your children, who you said would become plunder,+ and they will get to know the land that you have rejected.+ 32 But your own corpses will fall in this wilderness. 33 Now your sons will become shepherds in the wilderness 40 years,+ and they will have to answer for your acts of unfaithfulness* until the last one of your corpses falls in the wilderness.+ 34 According to the number of the days that you spied out the land, 40 days,+ a day for a year, a day for a year, you will answer for your errors 40 years,+ for you will know what it means to oppose me.*

35 “‘“I, Jehovah, have spoken. This is what I will do to all this evil assembly, those who have gathered together against me: In this wilderness they will come to their end, and here they will die.+ 36 The men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who caused the whole assembly to murmur against him when they returned with a bad report about the land,+ 37 yes, the men who brought back the bad report about the land will be struck down and die before Jehovah.+ 38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who went to spy out the land, will certainly keep living.”’”+

39 When Moses spoke these words to all the Israelites, the people began to mourn a great deal. 40 Moreover, they got up early in the morning and tried to go up to the top of the mountain, saying: “Here we are ready to go up to the place that Jehovah spoke about, for we have sinned.”+ 41 But Moses said: “Why are you going beyond the order of Jehovah? This will not succeed. 42 Do not go up, for Jehovah is not with you; and you will be defeated by your enemies.+ 43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there to face you,+ and you will fall by the sword. Because you turned away from following Jehovah, Jehovah will not be with you.”+

44 However, they presumptuously went toward the top of the mountain,+ but the ark of Jehovah’s covenant and Moses did not move away from the middle of the camp.+ 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who were dwelling in that mountain came down and struck them, scattering them as far as Hormah.+

15 Jehovah spoke further to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them, ‘When you eventually come into the land that I am giving you to dwell in+ 3 and you make an offering by fire to Jehovah from the herd or from the flock—whether a burnt offering+ or a sacrifice to perform a special vow or a voluntary offering+ or an offering during your seasonal festivals,+ in order to make a pleasing* aroma to Jehovah+— 4 the one presenting his offering must also present to Jehovah a grain offering of fine flour,+ a tenth of an ephah,* mixed with a fourth of a hin* of oil. 5 You should also offer wine as a drink offering, a fourth of a hin, together with the burnt offering+ or for the sacrifice of each male lamb. 6 Or for a ram, you should make a grain offering of two tenths of an ephah measure of fine flour mixed with a third of a hin of oil. 7 And you should present wine as a drink offering, a third of a hin, as a pleasing* aroma to Jehovah.

8 “‘But if you should offer a male of the herd as a burnt offering+ or a sacrifice to perform a special vow+ or communion sacrifices to Jehovah,+ 9 you should also present together with the male of the herd a grain offering+ of three tenths of an ephah measure of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil. 10 You should also present wine as a drink offering,+ half a hin, as an offering made by fire, as a pleasing* aroma to Jehovah. 11 This is what should be done for each bull or for each ram or for each of the male lambs or of the goats. 12 Whatever may be the number that you offer, that is what you should do for each one, according to their number. 13 This is how every native-born Israelite should present an offering made by fire, as a pleasing* aroma to Jehovah.

14 “‘If a foreigner who is residing with you or one who has been in your midst for many of your generations should also make an offering by fire, as a pleasing* aroma to Jehovah, he should do just as you do.+ 15 You who are of the congregation and the foreigner who is residing with you will have one statute. It will be a lasting statute for all your generations. The foreign resident should be the same as you before Jehovah.+ 16 There should be one law and one judicial decision for you and for the foreigner who is residing with you.’” 29; 9:14

17 Jehovah went on to say to Moses: 18 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you come into the land where I am bringing you 19 and you eat any of the bread* of the land,+ you should make a contribution to Jehovah. 20 You should make a contribution of the firstfruits+ of your coarse meal as ring-shaped loaves. Like the contribution of a threshing floor is the way you should contribute it. 21 Some of the firstfruits of your coarse meal you should give as a contribution to Jehovah throughout your generations.

22 “‘Now if you make a mistake and fail to observe all these commandments that Jehovah has spoken to Moses, 23 all that Jehovah has commanded you through Moses from the day that Jehovah commanded and onward for your generations, 24 and if it was done by mistake and without the knowledge of the assembly, the whole assembly must offer one young bull as a burnt offering for a pleasing* aroma to Jehovah, together with its grain offering and its drink offering according to the regular procedure,+ and one young goat as a sin offering.+ 25 The priest will make atonement for the whole assembly of the Israelites, and it will be forgiven them,+ because it was a mistake, and they brought as their offering an offering made by fire to Jehovah and their sin offering before Jehovah for their mistake. 26 It will be forgiven the whole assembly of the Israelites and the foreigner who is residing in their midst, because it was by mistake on the part of all the people.

27 “‘If any person* should sin by mistake, then he must present a female goat in its first year for a sin offering.+ 28 And the priest will make atonement for the person* who made a mistake by an unintentional sin before Jehovah, so as to make atonement for it, and it will be forgiven him.+ 29 As for the native-born among the Israelites and the foreigner who is residing in their midst, there should be one law for you in the matter of doing something unintentionally.+ 15-16; 9:14

30 “‘But the person* who does something deliberately,+ whether he is native-born or a foreign resident, is blaspheming Jehovah and must be cut off* from among his people. 31 Because he has despised Jehovah’s word and broken his commandment, that person* should be cut off without fail.+ His own error is upon him.’”+

32 While the Israelites were in the wilderness, they found a man collecting pieces of wood on the Sabbath day.+ 33 Those who found him collecting wood brought him up to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly. 34 They committed him into custody+ because it had not been specified what should be done to him.

35 And Jehovah said to Moses: “The man should be put to death without fail,+ and the whole assembly should stone him outside the camp.”+ 36 So the whole assembly brought him outside the camp and stoned him so that he died, just as Jehovah had commanded Moses.

37 Jehovah went on to say this to Moses: 38 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them that they must make for themselves fringed edges on the skirts of their garments throughout their generations, and they are to put a blue string above the fringed edge of the skirt.+ 39 ‘You must have this fringed edge so that you will see it and remember all the commandments of Jehovah and observe them.+ You must not follow your own hearts and eyes, which are leading you to spiritual prostitution.+ 40 This will help you remember, and you will observe all my commandments and be holy to your God.+ 41 I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt in order to prove myself your God.+ I am Jehovah your God.’”+

16 Then Korah+ the son of Izhar,+ the son of Kohath,+ the son of Levi,+ got up together with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab,+ and On the son of Peleth, of the sons of Reuben.+ 2 They rose up against Moses along with 250 Israelite men, chieftains of the assembly, chosen ones of the congregation, prominent men. 3 So they gathered together against+ Moses and Aaron and said to them: “We have had enough of you! The whole assembly is holy,+ all of them, and Jehovah is in their midst.+ Why, then, should you exalt yourselves above the congregation of Jehovah?”

4 When Moses heard this, he at once fell facedown. 5 Then he said to Korah and to all his supporters: “In the morning Jehovah will make known who belongs to him+ and who is holy and who should approach him,+ and whomever he may choose+ will approach him. 6 Do this: Take fire holders,+ Korah and all your supporters,+ 7 and put fire in them and place incense on them before Jehovah tomorrow, and the man whom Jehovah will choose,+ he is the holy one. You sons of Levi+ have gone far enough!”

8 Moses then said to Korah: “Listen, please, you sons of Levi. 9 Does it seem to you such a little thing that the God of Israel has separated you from the assembly of Israel+ and allowed you to approach him in order to perform the service of Jehovah’s tabernacle and to stand before the assembly to minister to them,+ 10 and that he brought you near to him along with all your brothers, the sons of Levi? Must you also try to secure the priesthood?+ 11 For this reason, you and all your supporters who are gathering together are against Jehovah. As for Aaron, who is he that you should murmur against him?”+

12 Moses later sent for Dathan and Abiram+ the sons of Eliab, but they said: “We are not going to come! 13 Is it so little a thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to put us to death in the wilderness?+ Now do you also want to make yourself an absolute ruler over us?* 14 As it is, you have not brought us into any land flowing with milk and honey+ or given us an inheritance of field and vineyard. Would you bore out the eyes of those men? We are not going to come!”

15 So Moses became very angry and said to Jehovah: “Do not turn to look at their grain offering. Not one donkey have I taken away from them, nor have I harmed one of them.”+

16 Then Moses said to Korah: “Present yourself with all your supporters before Jehovah tomorrow, you and they and Aaron. 17 Each one should take his fire holder and put incense on it, and each will present his fire holder before Jehovah, 250 fire holders, together with you and Aaron, each with his fire holder.” 18 So each of them took his fire holder, and they put fire and incense on them and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting together with Moses and Aaron. 19 When Korah had gathered his supporters+ against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting, Jehovah’s glory appeared to all the assembly.+

20 Jehovah now told Moses and Aaron: 21 “Separate yourselves from among this group, so that I may exterminate them in an instant.”+ 22 At this, they fell with their faces to the ground and said: “O God, the God of the spirit of all people,*+ will one man’s sin cause you to become indignant against the entire assembly?”+

23 Jehovah then said to Moses: 24 “Speak to the assembly and tell them, ‘Get away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’”+

25 Then Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders+ of Israel went with him. 26 He told the assembly: “Move away, please, from the tents of these wicked men and do not touch anything that belongs to them, so that you may not be swept away in all their sin.” 27 They immediately moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, from every side, and Dathan and Abiram came out, taking their stand at the entrance of their tents, together with their wives, their sons, and their little children.

28 Then Moses said: “By this you will know that Jehovah has sent me to do all these things, that it is not of my own heart:* 29 If these people die a natural death as all men do and if their punishment is the same as that of all mankind, then Jehovah has not sent me.+ 30 But if Jehovah does something extraordinary with them and the ground opens* and swallows them and everything that belongs to them and they go down alive into the Grave,* you will certainly know that these men have treated Jehovah disrespectfully.”

31 As soon as he finished speaking all these words, the ground beneath them split apart.+ 32 And the earth opened* and swallowed them up, along with their households and everyone who belonged to Korah+ and all their goods. 33 So they and all who belonged to them went down alive into the Grave,* and the earth covered them over, so that they perished from the midst of the congregation.+ 34 All the Israelites who were around them fled at their screaming, for they said: “We are afraid that the earth may swallow us up!” 35 Then a fire came out from Jehovah+ and consumed the 250 men offering the incense.+

36 Jehovah now said to Moses: 37 “Tell Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take the fire holders+ out of the fire, for they are holy. Also tell him to scatter the fire some distance away. 38 The fire holders of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives* should be made into thin metal plates to overlay the altar,+ because they presented them before Jehovah, and they became holy. They should serve as a sign to the Israelites.”+ 39 So Eleazar the priest took the copper fire holders that had been presented by those who were burned up, and beat them to overlay the altar, 40 just as Jehovah had told him through Moses. It was a reminder for the Israelites that no unauthorized person* who is not of the offspring of Aaron should approach to burn incense before Jehovah+ and that no one should become like Korah and his supporters.+

41 On the very next day, the whole assembly of the Israelites began to murmur against Moses and Aaron,+ saying: “You two have put Jehovah’s people to death.” 42 When the assembly had gathered together against Moses and Aaron, they then turned toward the tent of meeting, and look! the cloud covered it, and Jehovah’s glory began to appear.+

43 Moses and Aaron went before the tent of meeting,+ 44 and Jehovah said to Moses: 45 “You men, remove yourselves from among this assembly, so that I may exterminate them in an instant.”+ At this they fell with their faces to the ground.+ 46 Moses then said to Aaron: “Take the fire holder and put fire from the altar+ in it and put incense on it and go quickly to the assembly and make atonement for them,+ because indignation has gone out from Jehovah. The plague has started!” 47 Aaron at once took it, just as Moses had said, and ran into the midst of the congregation, and look! the plague had started among the people. So he put the incense on the fire holder and began making atonement for the people. 48 He kept standing between the dead and the living, and the scourge eventually stopped. 49 Those who died from the scourge amounted to 14,700, besides those dead on account of Korah. 50 When at last Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, the scourge had been stopped.

17 Jehovah now said to Moses: 2 “Speak to the Israelites and take from them one rod for each paternal house, from the chieftains of each paternal house,+ 12 rods in all. Write the name of each one on his rod. 3 You should write Aaron’s name on Levi’s rod, because there is one rod for the head of each paternal house. 4 Deposit the rods in the tent of meeting before the Testimony,+ where I regularly present myself to you.+ 5 And the rod of the man whom I choose+ will bud, and I will put a stop to the murmuring of the Israelites against me,+ which they are also murmuring against you.”+

6 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and all their chieftains gave him rods—a rod for each chieftain of a paternal house, 12 rods—and Aaron’s rod was among their rods. 7 Then Moses deposited the rods before Jehovah in the tent of the Testimony.

8 On the next day, when Moses went into the tent of the Testimony, look! Aaron’s rod for the house of Levi had budded and was bringing forth buds and blossoming flowers and bearing ripe almonds. 9 Moses then brought out all the rods from before Jehovah to all the people of Israel. They looked at them, and each man took his own rod.

10 Jehovah then said to Moses: “Put Aaron’s rod+ back before the Testimony as something to be kept for a sign+ to the sons of rebelliousness,+ so that their murmurings against me may cease and so that they may not die.” 11 Moses immediately did just as Jehovah had commanded him. He did just so.

12 The Israelites then said to Moses: “Now we will die, we will surely perish, we are all going to perish! 13 Anyone who even comes close to Jehovah’s tabernacle will die!+ Must we end up dying that way?”+

18 Jehovah then said to Aaron: “You and your sons and your paternal house with you will be answerable for any error against the sanctuary,+ and you and your sons with you will be answerable for any error against your priesthood.+ 2 Also bring near your brothers of the tribe of Levi, your ancestral tribe, so that they may join you and minister to you+ and your sons before the tent of the Testimony.+ 3 They are to fulfill their responsibilities to you and to the entire tent.+ However, they must not come near the utensils of the holy place and the altar, so that neither they nor you may die.+ 4 They will join you and carry out their responsibilities regarding the tent of meeting and all the service of the tent, and no unauthorized person* may come near to you.+ 5 You must carry out your responsibility toward the holy place+ and the altar,+ so that no further indignation+ may come against the people of Israel. 6 I myself have taken your brothers, the Levites, from among the Israelites as a gift for you.+ They are given to Jehovah to care for the service of the tent of meeting.+ 7 You and your sons are responsible for your priestly duties pertaining to the altar and what is inside the curtain,+ and you are to render this service.+ I have given the service of the priesthood as a gift to you, and any unauthorized person* who approaches should be put to death.”+

8 Jehovah spoke further to Aaron: “I myself put you in charge of the contributions made to me.+ I have given to you and to your sons a portion of all the holy things contributed by the Israelites as a permanent allowance.+ 9 This will be yours out of the most holy offerings made by fire: every offering they make, including their grain offerings+ and their sin offerings+ and their guilt offerings+ that they bring to me. It is something most holy for you and for your sons. 10 In a most holy place you should eat it.+ Every male may eat it. It will be something holy to you.+ 11 This also belongs to you: the gifts they contribute+ together with all the wave offerings+ of the Israelites. I have given them to you and your sons and your daughters with you as a permanent allowance.+ Everyone clean in your house may eat it.+

12 “All the best of the oil and all the best of the new wine and the grain, their firstfruits,+ which they give to Jehovah, I give them to you.+ 13 The first ripe fruits of everything from their land, which they will bring to Jehovah, will become yours.+ Everyone clean in your house may eat it.

14 “Every devoted thing* in Israel should become yours.+

15 “Every firstborn of all living things,*+ which they will present to Jehovah, whether man or animal, should become yours. However, you should without fail redeem the firstborn of mankind,+ and the firstborn of the unclean animals you should redeem.+ 16 You should redeem it with the redemption price when it is a month old and up, by the estimated value of five silver shekels,*+ according to the standard shekel of the holy place.* It is 20 gerahs.* 17 Only the firstborn bull or firstborn male lamb or firstborn goat you should not redeem.+ They are something holy. You should sprinkle their blood on the altar,+ and their fat you should make smoke as an offering made by fire for a pleasing* aroma to Jehovah.+ 18 And their flesh should become yours. Like the breast of the wave offering and like the right leg, it should become yours.+ 19 All the holy contributions that the Israelites will contribute to Jehovah,+ I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you as a permanent allowance.+ It is a lasting covenant of salt* before Jehovah for you and your offspring with you.”

20 Jehovah went on to say to Aaron: “In their land you will not have an inheritance, and no portion of land among them will become yours.+ I am your portion and your inheritance in the midst of the Israelites.+

21 “Now see that I have given to the sons of Levi every tenth part+ in Israel as an inheritance in return for the service they are carrying out, the service of the tent of meeting. 22 No longer may the people of Israel approach the tent of meeting, or else they will incur sin and die. 23 The Levites themselves are to carry out the service of the tent of meeting, and they are the ones who will answer for their error.+ It is a lasting statute during all your generations that they should not take possession of an inheritance among the Israelites.+ 24 For I have given to the Levites as an inheritance the tenth part contributed by the people of Israel, which they will contribute to Jehovah. That is why I have said to them, ‘In the midst of the Israelites, they should not take possession of an inheritance.’”+

25 Then Jehovah said to Moses: 26 “You should tell the Levites, ‘You will receive from the Israelites the tenth part that I have given to you from them for your inheritance,+ and you should contribute from it a tenth part of the tenth part as a contribution to Jehovah.+ 27 And it will be considered your contribution, as though it were the grain of the threshing floor+ or the full production of the winepress or oil press. 28 In this way you will also give a contribution to Jehovah from all the tenth parts that you receive from the Israelites, and from them you are to give the contribution for Jehovah to Aaron the priest. 29 You will make every sort of contribution to Jehovah from the very best of all the gifts given to you+ as something holy.’

30 “And you must say to them, ‘When you contribute the best of them, then it will be considered for the Levites as the produce of the threshing floor and as the produce of the winepress or oil press. 31 You and your household may eat it in any place, because it is your wages in return for your service at the tent of meeting.+ 32 You will not incur sin in this as long as you contribute the best from them, and you must not profane the holy things of the Israelites, or you will die.’”+

19 Jehovah spoke again to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 “This is a statute of the law that Jehovah has commanded, ‘Tell the Israelites that they should take for you a sound red cow in which there is no defect+ and upon which no yoke has come. 3 You are to give it to Eleazar the priest, and he will lead it outside the camp, and it will be slaughtered before him. 4 Then Eleazar the priest will take some of its blood with his finger and spatter its blood seven times straight toward the front of the tent of meeting.+ 5 The cow will then be burned before his eyes. Its skin and its flesh and its blood together with its dung will be burned.+ 6 And the priest will take cedarwood, hyssop,+ and scarlet material and throw them into the fire where the cow is being burned. 7 The priest will then wash his garments and bathe himself* in water, and afterward he may come into the camp; but the priest will be unclean until the evening.